December, 2014
"Perfect Family Vacation”My parents, sister, brother-in-law, niece, nephew and my family with two kids just spent the holiday break at Casa Juliana. It was one of the best vacations we have ever had. The house suited our needs perfectly. It was beautiful and the set up for three different families worked very well. The pool was perfect to swim day or night. We loved being a little bit off the beaten path. You could hear the waves from the house. There were two of the best surfing beaches a short 10-15 minute drive away. I just can't say enough other than we wish we were still there . The outdoor area had been recently screened in which was just perfect to allow for outdoor living without the bug bites. Lastly, the property is managed by a wonderful woman from the area. She was attentive and helpful!

Christmas, 2013

Total relaxation and fabulous beach!

Wow-zipline Pura Aventura!

Wow-waterfall hike, pargos adventures in Playa Negra!

Super fun!

Steve, Elena and Katya,

Pittsburgh, PA

April, 2013

What a resplendent vacation-more so than any quetzle out there!

The monkey fix-done!

The toucan fix-done!

And you can throw in a coati for good measure.

Your pool was blissful with the sound of the pacific providing the backbeat. The house is sublime.

Janet and Charlie

Pittsburgh, PA

February, 2012

Thanks for sharing your beautiful home. We loved it here-so quiet and relaxing. Adventure tour at Rincon de la Vieja-we did it all! Sunset cruise was magnificent. Local people and food were great...sad to leave.

Jann and Frank

Pittsburgh, PA

March, 2012

A lovely week at Casa Juliana. We enjoyed much that Playa Junquillal has to offer-family time by the pool, naps in the hammock, champagne at sunset on the beach, just to name a few. We celebrated Hector and Amalia’s 50th anniversary in this beautiful setting. For special occasions, ask Georgina for the chocolate cake by the German baker-it was delicious! During our short 1-week stay we witnessed the transformation of the deserted shack at the end of the street into a thriving minimarket complete with ice and chips and wine!

Pura Vida,

Hector, Amalia, Michelle and Denise,

Pittsburgh, PA

March, 2012

OMG! Couldn’t have been better. Thanks you so much!

Susie and Bob

Pittsburgh, PA

March, 2012

Al and I were so happy here at Casa Juliana. It was quiet, beautiful and peaceful, just what we wanted. This place is paradise! The beach, horseback riding and your wonderful pool were my favorite things! We hope to come back soon!

Sara and Alda

Columbus, OH

March, 2010

We cane to this rustic beautiful country to celebrate my sister-in-law’s wedding. We were a little nervous at first of all of the unknowns of the country but soon felt at home in your wonderful home. The pool and accommodating patio were our favorite places to just hang out and relax. We watched the release of baby turtles on the beach and also got to experience an evening of watching a turtle laying her eggs on the beach. Snorkeling, body surfing and just enjoying the beauty of natural, unoccupied beaches, away from the chaos of work was a relaxing treat. We celebrated the joining of “two into one” at the park near the beach and had a wonderful reception at the Guacamaya Lodge. Thanks you for sharing your casa with our family.

Muchas gracias

Jared, Jami and Aden

Fargo, ND

February, 2010

We love casa Juliana. We spent our week soaking up the sun, swimming in the pool, reading in the pool, grilling chicken and dorado, gathered around the table for games and drinking cheap wine and watered down beer and spirits in abundance! We went down the road for the Superbowl at Steve’s place. The Saints won and some people lost money. Tracy won the $250 pool, the final bonus pool. We met fritz and Amy there and they stopped by later for a swim in the pool. Lola’s place, Villa Serena and Iguanazul were some of our favorite restaurants. When you spend your vacation here, its best to have your cell phones and computers off. Just relax and enjoy the environment and beauty. Thanks for building this place and making it a comfortable place to stay.

Kelly

Anchorage, AL-USA

February, 2010

We love casa Juliana. We spent our week soaking up the sun, swimming in the pool, reading in the pool, grilling chicken and dorado, gathered around the table for games and drinking cheap wine and watered down beer and spirits in abundance! We went down the road for the Superbowl at Steve’s place. The Saints won and some people lost money. Tracy won the $250 pool, the final bonus pool. We met fritz and Amy there and they stopped by later for a swim in the pool. Lola’s place, Villa Serena and Iguanazul were some of our favorite restaurants. When you spend your vacation here, its best to have your cell phones and computers off. Just relax and enjoy the environment and beauty. Thanks for building this place and making it a comfortable place to stay.

Kelly

Anchorage, AL-USA

July, 2009

Highlights from Costa Rica:

-horseback riding on Maxi: Caballo loco

-zipline and Min’s inability to stop herself

-the bus/truck/car/van that seats 15

-the parrot

-mapachin and co.

Calin “sunshine” S……, Pittsburgh, PA

What a beautiful house and country! Had an amazing, fun, relaxing, exciting week and PROMISE I’ll be back again :). Thank you for having us and sharing your house!

Rainy

I had even more fun the second time! Let’s make it a yearly event!

Lizzie

Watching Kathy trap a raccoon under a laundry basket while only wearing underwear was exciting but not surprising. Another day in paradise…

Minnie

We had a wonderful week at Casa Juliana. The house, the pool, the beach, the sunsets and most of all, the company. ZUMA was a blast!

Nell, Dan, Hannah and Calin

February, 2009

Why do we have to leave? I want to just float in the pool a few more days! I love this pool!

We snorkeled around the rocks at public beach (down the beach, make a left). It was wonderful. We had such a great time this week. I love my girlfriend, Costa Rican coffee and cold beer in the afternoon. Also sleeping in the “tree house” and looking at the stars.

Pool games were a plenty this week...my favorite was the handstand olympics. Linda and Nell may have taken gold and silver. Minnie?...special olympics!! She still gets a medal. Kathy was an excellent judge.

I had fun. Read “My lobotomy”. Minnie gave me one.

Linda, Pittsburgh, PA

January 3, 2009

It’s our last morning sitting by the pool enjoying good Costa Rican coffee. 3 weeks have zipped by. This was our second trip to Playa Junquillal and third to Costa Rica. My kids feel quite at home in this little beach town. We’ve spent many days at the beach body surfing and then nachos and cervesas at Adriana’s on the beach. Horseback riding at Rancho Tambor, Playa Venado, surfing at Playa Negra***, catamaran sunset cruise, Tamarindo, hiking up to a waterfall, New Years rodeo in Paraiso, Lola’s at playa Avellanas, and lots of 4x4 touring. We’ve covered many kilometers of bumpy road and seen many amazing sights. The monkeys came down one afternoon while we were in the pool and stripped the tree covered with mauve flowers, that was a real treat! We’re heading back to snow this afternoon, must reluctantly pack. Thank you so much,

F…. family and Grandma Phyllis

Vancouver island, Canada

December, 2008

The week of absolute relaxation has flown by, despite savoring every moment. Your beautiful house, the beach, the patio and the pool, the delicious restaurants and Georgina have made our honeymoon superb. Some highlights were getting to see a mama leatherback turtle lay 82 eggs, walking and talking with the WWF guy who collects, monitors and protects the eggs every night, a delicious and rich 5 hours of cooking lessons with Sybille and a fabulous meal that we shared with her and her husband (highly recommend this experience, the sunsets...oh, the sunsets, many hours on the beautiful beach (watching Sean try to surf :), the warm, beautiful people, and just stone cold chillin’ by the pool. Muchas gracias por toda,

Amber and Sean, Flagstaff, AZ

Julio, ‘08

This place is awesome! Craftsmanship and architecture-very much impressed. I think there is nothing to improve. I hope to return someday with my family and show them the experience. Thanks for creating this great space surrounded by “pura vida”. Cheers!

Aaron, Mt. Home, ID

Nov. 15-08

If you want to experience beauty, friendship the product of much hard work and thoughtfulness (this wonderful house) with fantastic neighbors, food, and a natural environment second to none, come to Casa Juliana! Dan, Jaime, Chris and Michael acted like carpenters, telephone repairman, pool chemists, stone sealers and botanists from 8-15, November. Oh yea, we had a little fun too. Climbed Rincon de la Vieja, boogie boarded on fantastic new boards (Thanks, Chris) and turned a simple snorkeling excursion into a life-affirming event.

The Juliana and Fine families have created a refuge for friends and families to come together and we will be/are better for it. Grab whoever you are with, drop into the pool, watch the sunset and enjoy the moment.

Jaime, Pittsburgh, PA

July, 2008

Hola! How can it be that we traveled halfway around the world only to find ourselves at home in your beautiful villa and this amazingly welcoming culture? If there was something to do in Costa Rica, we did it: Arenal, canopy zipline tours, surfing, boogie boarding, horseback riding, sport fishing, just to name a few, but the best thing we did above all was to relax, recharge our batteries and open ourselves to nature and others. Thanks for helping us along the way. We met so many wonderful people (go to Lola’s: Walter and Mauricio are the best) and so many great dogs-we named a bunch and had a great time on the beach with others. They were like family by the time we had to leave-even protecting us from raccoons!

We leave you with our gratitude and our Costa Rican top 10 list:

10) Dos Pinos Helado Trits (go to the minisuper-they’ll know)

9) Surf lessons at Lola’s with Mauricio and Walter

8) Pizza at Tatiana’s

7) Horseback riding with Erika (ask for Mr. Oficial!)

6) Monkey walks

5) Beach combing

4) Hermit crab races

3) Arenal: 4AM

2) Black beans and Plantains at the Guacamaya-check out the giant toads and Hannah the monkey dog!

1) The spirit and grace of the tico people!!!!

Many thanks, see you next July, Pura Vida!

Alex, Carrie, Harper, and Sutton, NY

Peter, Michelle, Chaz, Nathaniel, Valpo, In

Beth, Valpo, IN

Mary, Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Jennifer, LA, California

June, 2008

Thanks you for getting us to come to Costa Rica. We had a great time. Disappointed that Rudy’s is closed, but had fabulous weather considering it was “rainy” season. Too many dogs! Got great shells at the beach. Great family time. Need some pool toys (a volleyball or beach ball, hard to play with a basketball!). The house is lovely, especially the pool and AC.

Joe, Ro, Maryann and Teresa

Lexington, KY

May, 2008

Hey, what a great spot, guys. We had a full week beaching it, visiting Palo Verde, ziplining, tennis and even a pickup soccer game on the way back from Tamarindo. Jedd gave a baseball demonstration on the beach for the school, set up by Lily-in all great surf. What can we say-had a great getaway and adventure.

Dave, Ginny, Marilyn, Jedd, Alyssa and Rob

February, 2008

Another fabulous adventure for the four amigas-Linda, Kathy, Nellie and Minnie celebrated 3 birthdays this time-Kathy’s, Minnie’s and Alice’s (owner of the guacamaya).

Best snorkeling is at Playa Blanca. We saw eels, a blue starfish, a lobster, a squid and a blowfish. We did not find Nemo.

The horseback ride through the backcountry and on the beach was awesome-Christina pointed out monkeys, a trogan and cashew trees.

Kathy’s birthday was at Casa Juliana and was an international affair with guests from Switzerland, France, Costa Rica and the US.

Minnie’s birthday was a trip to Rincon volcano with Helmut. We rode horses to a beautiful waterfall that had blue water from all the minerals in the water. We did the zipline through the canopy and the river canyon with Santos and friends. That was a blast! We hiked around the base of the volcano and saw (smelled?) sulphur pits, boiling mud, tapirs and monkeys. Then, finally, the sauna, mud painting and thermal baths to cleanse away any evil spirits.

The party at the guacamaya for Alice was a huge affair with 130 guests, much drink and dancing to a marimba band.

All the people of Junquillal are lovely-we got to know better Georgina and her little baby, French Sylvia, Lilly, Alice, Mario, Bernie and Helmut.

The house has come a long way since the Juliana re”fine”ments: the pool, the landscaping, the showers, the kitchen-all make life easier and more convenient than ever, so there are truly no worries when you are visiting.

Hope to come back soon-Minnie, Nellie and Linda from Pittsburgh, PA

January, 2008

Aaron, Paige, Ryan, Mama Carole, Grandma Dot, and great aunt Mil-at this fabulous home. Yes we had monkeys in the morning! and Parrots in the trees- and always hearing the ocean waves-perfect weather everyday-but how about those roads! Paige and Aaron (especially) got our car out of gullies, over rocks, holes.etc. The market kept us in homemade grainy breads, fruits, eggs, meats which our chef, Aaron, prepared so well.

We loved the house and its seclusion, our everyday visitors! The plan is to come back frequently.

Paige, Ryan, Carol- Akron, OH

Aaron-Brooklyn, NY

January, 2007

For our first visit to Costa Rica-we loved it! Captain Andre, wife Maria, crew Jimmy and Costa of Mandingo sailing (Tamarindo) was definitely worth the trip. Helmut will take you anywhere, which is a good thing.

Loved the house, especially patio area and pool. We spent many hours out there.

Hope you had as good of a time as we did!

Kevin and Darcy-Oregon, USA

Dave and Ann-Virginia, USA

February, 2007

¡Qué Bueno! Su casa es muy bonita.

We had an excellent time at Casa Juliana! Your accommodations and hospitality are much appreciated.

Muchas Gracias-

Jr., Anna and Scotty-Westling, Oregon, USA

February, 2007

Wow! Casa Juliana is great.

Michelle

Pura vida-blown away. We’ve had an awesome time here and regret to leave. Hope to be back soon. May God bless you here as He has us. Amazing! I love the view of the ocean. If you just want a relaxing day, it is so much fun to just hang in the pool- Andrea

Everything was GREAT! Just one complaint-the mirrors in our room (enter from patio, separate from house) were hung too high. Had to stand on tiptoes-some of us are height challenged. But really loved it-loved it! God’s blessing upon your house.

Sandi

Casa Juliana was wonderful! I’m going to miss this place so much! This was a great vacation. The hammock upstairs is my favorite place!

Mindy

You should really go horseback riding at Erica’s It is so much fun. Especially the horse Bugs Bunny!

Andrea

February, 2007

Fantastic! Everyone and everything is great! Rudy’s-great place to hang, eat and drink. Lola’s-great. Hotel Playa Negra-great drinks, pool table and surfing. Minisuper has great pastries made by a local woman. Pizzeria at the bottom of the hill has great pizza!

If you like to walk, go down to the beach, turn right and in a few hours you’ll get to Lola’s or Playa Negra. Take plenty of H2O, but it’s a beautiful trek and a great way to see all along the beaches. But the walk back is longer, so have someone meet you at the other end with a frosty beverage :). It’s beautiful home-thanks for making it available to us.

Nelle 2/19/2007

Thank you!

Tiffany, Nelle, Jen, Kelly, Shelly, Lisa

Albuquerque, New Mexico

February, 2007

What a tropical paradise! This is a piece of heaven. I really enjoyed all the nature here. A bird watchers glory. Monkeys in our trees too. Sitting in the pool and looking out at the Pacific Ocean can certainly make your mind wander. Everyone here is so nice-lots of great places to eat and hang out. We would love to come back sometime. God’s blessings,

Dennis and Lynn

What a wonderful place! We had a very relaxing week sitting around the pool. The peace and quiet of Junquillal is matched by the hospitality we have found from the minisuper to the local restaurants. Casa Juliana exceeded our expectations.

Dan and Meg

Kittering, Ohio

2/27/02

March, 2007

Hola!

Despues the initial shock of que bonita esta Casa Juliana, and trying to unlock the balcony outer door without zapatos (mildly shocking) we truly feel like we fell into paradise (or Paraiso). This beautiful villa is exquisitely comfortable and peaceful-so close to everything, but so secluded. Between 3 on 3 basketball, 5 v. 5 soccer on the beach, volleyball up the backyard at the Guacamaya, camel fights in the pool, marimba band Thursday at the lodge, we saw howler monkey families, a tortuga laying eggs, stingrays at super beach, iguanas, great surfers at Playa Negra. Our fishing trip was a bust, so we bought fish at Lagarto (and cervesas and helados). The best snorkeling was at the Tree House B and B beach art Miravellas, a beautiful and secluded beach (park at the Tree house). Best boogie boarding at Playa Negra and great bar. Take shortcut to Playa Ostional by turning right before bridge in Paraiso if you don’t mind driving through a few rivers. Tamarindo was too touristy. We’ve explored the whole area and are happy to be at Casa Juliana and Playa Junquillal.

Don, Robin, Aly, Nick, Ty, Meg, Hillary, Oliver, Sarah, Heath

Idaho

May, 2007

Thank you so much for the use of your beautiful home. We loved every minute of our stay. Our favorite restaurants were Rudy’s (fish tacos were the best) and Lola’s! Conchal (near Tamarindo was the most beautiful white sand beach with turquoise water. Playa Junquillal was lovely for evening strolls and the town itself was wonderful. Drive to Carillo was very fun-thru rivers and over lots of hills and potholes. We hope we have the chance to visit again!

Tony, Amy, Alex, Tyler and Nick

Stefan, Melissa, Kit and Dylan

July, 2007

We had such a great time on our family vacation. The house was great! Very accommodating for 7 adults. We are sorry to leave. We are building in Tierra Pacifica and look forward to meeting you some day.

Marth, Eric, Jessica, Caroline, Jerry, Isaac and Victoria

PS. One of our favorite restaurants was Latino Bar and Restaurant between Paraiso and Negra-try it.

Friday the 13th-Tuesday the 17th 2007

Sean (Jake), Diane (Daug), Steve and Kurt. It was great!!! The house is very nice, love the red wood!!

-Kurt and Steve kicked Daug and Sean’sbutt in tennis. Courts are fantastic!!!

-4-6, 6-3, 7-5

-7-5, 6-4

-Surveyed Bajia de Lagarto...fantastic. Better buy in before the price quadruples! Call Sean, Mayor of Junquillal

-House was awesome-Red wood. Patio addition nice but disappointing that they are just wood panels-booo.

Thanks\ you so much for letting us stay at Casa Juliana. It was a much-needed getaway before we start back to school in a few weeks. The beach is beautiful, but we definitely got smashed by a wave or two. The walk to Playa Negra (north) was beautiful. Be sure to walk back on the beach, not the road because it is much longer. Luckily, a Costa Rican family picked us up halfway. The walk north is much nicer than the southern route. The books and games came in handy during the afternoon showers. The sunsets down at the beach are awesome. We were lucky enough to see a sunset and a lightning storm at the same time over the horizon. The people around here are so nice and helpful. We loved the monkeys! Made plenty of animal friends but Rudy was the best. Pool lights were fun!

Lizzie,

Pittsburgh/Denver

December, 2007

Enjoyed our stay here at the casa immensely. We are a family of 7 who all journeyed from different areas of the US to celebrate Christmas together. We had howler monkeys in the Casa trees this morning-a real treat! We did many activities while here-

We also did the sunset snorkel tour with Blue Dolphin Catamarans (Tamarindo-great cruise, friendly staff, but snorkeling was not good (rough conditions). Tonight we did the turtle patrol with Valerie and saw an olive ridley come ashore and lay 122 eggs! Valerie collected them and transferred to the hatchery (near beach bar) and we got to name the nest after our family! Georgina was great in fixing a couple of minor problems we had, but the telephone was a big issue as it rarely worked effectively. Pizza at Tatanka (next door) was excellent, also the patacones with black bean did from Las Tuquitas (near Paraiso) were amazing! Mini super here is well stocked! Food at the Guacamaya Lodge was also great. We enjoyed lounging in the pool and in the hammock :).

One person in our group was stung by a scorpion in the casa, so remember to shake out all towels, clothes and sheets before using!

Thank you very much for a wonderful stay!

John and Sally (Michigan), Nathan (Iowa)

Ryan and Molly (Ohio)

Susan (Washington DC)

Kim (Iowa)

Dot and Mil-Baltimore, MD

December, 2006

We had a wonderful time during our stay at Casa Juliana. The people of Junquillal made us feel very at home. We enjoyed many of the local restaurants. We found the best waves at Playa Negra and Playa Avellanas (great food at Lola’s). Be sure to check out the sunset by horseback or from the balcony at Casa Juliana.